Artificial limb



(No Model.) 7

A. A. MARKS.

Artificial Limbs.

No. 234,597. Patenfed Nov. 16., I880.

N'Wmwaem Maw-Tu I v Mmao. KNkoxka M I a Wad- N-FEI'ERS,PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHEH, WASHINGTON. D C.

IINHED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMASA A. MARKS, OF GREEN WICH, CONNECTICUT.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,597, dated November16, 1880. Application filed September 29, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMAsA A. MARKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in ArtificialLimbs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement on that class of artificiallimbs which I have described in my Patent N 0. 40,763, dated December1,1863; and my present invention consists in the combination, with anartificial limb, of metal wires secured in the core of said limb andextending into the fingers or toes, sheaths of canvas or other suitablematerial embracin g said metal wires, and an envelope of indiarubbersurrounding the'corc and the sheaths of the metal wires, so that by theaction of said metal wires the fingers or toes are retained in thedesired position.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l represents a longitudinal section of an artificial handconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe same.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the example shown in the drawings the letter A designates the core ofan artificial hand, said core being made of wood or any other suitablematerial. In this core are secured a series of metal wires, B, one foreach finger of the hand, and these wires are inclosed in sheaths O, ofcanvas or other suit-able material, which are fastened to the core A.After the wires 13 and sheaths C have been secured in the desiredposition, an envelope, D, ofindia-rubber is formed, which surrounds andincloses the core and the fingers or toes of the limb, as described inmyPatent N o. 40,763,the sheaths C serving to support and retain theenvelope and to protect the metal wires from directcontact with therubber.

It will be readily seen from this description that the object of themetal wires B and sheaths C is to support the fingers or toes of thelimb,

and if the metal wires are softthe fingers or toes can be brought indifferent positions,and they will retain this position with a certaintenacity but if the metal wires are hard and elasticthey will serve toretain the fingers or toes in the desired position, and cause them toreturn to that position whenever they (the fingers or toes) are free todo so.

In applying my invention to artificial hands I prefer to use soft-metalw1res, so that the fingers of the hand can be broughtin differentpositions, and the hand, if desired; can be made to grasp a pen and tocarry an article, such as a basket or an umbrella, or any other articleof comparatively small weight; but if this invention is applied to anartificial foot I prefer to use hard and elastic metal wires, which haveatendency to retain the toes of the foot in that position which the toesof the natural foot assume in standing upon a fiat surface. Hard andelastic wires may, however, be also used in an artificial hand, andinthis case saidwires are bent to the desired position before they aresecured to the core A, so that when the hand is completed the fingerswill be retained in an easy and graceful position, such as shown in Fig.2 of the drawings.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with an artificial limb, of 7 metal wires secured inthe core of said limb and extending into the fingers or toes, sheaths ofcanvas or other suitable material embracing said metal wires, and anenvelope of india-rubber surrounding the core and the sheaths of themetal wires, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

AMASA A. MARKS.

